Beat the cold with hot soup

Published 4:28 pm, Wednesday, January 8, 2014

You don't have leave for warmer climates, Take the chill off winter with one of these nourishing recipes.

Squash-Parsnip Soup

Serves 6

2 tablespoons salad oil

2 large shallots (about 4 ounces), chopped

2 large stalks of celery, chopped

1 medium butternut squash

1 pound parsnips

3 apples

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 cups chicken broth

Saute shallots and celery in oil in large dutch oven. Stir in coarsely chopped squash, parsnips and apples and remaining ingredients; heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes until veggies are tender. Puree in batches in blender. Serve hot.

Place first seven ingredients into large stock pot and cook until sausage and onions are cooked, approximately 15 minutes over medium-high heat. After initial seven ingredients are cooked, add all remaining ingredients and simmer for one hour if using rice option. If using bean option, add all remaining ingredients, except for beans, and simmer for 40 minutes. Then add beans with liquid and simmer 20 minutes. This soup gets better with age and freezes really well.

Put all ingredients except milk in a crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours. When done smash beans as you like. The more you smash, the smoother the soup. When finished pour milk in soup. Keep on low till serving. Soup gets thicker as it sits.

You can use veggie stock to make this totally a vegetarian soup. Freezes well.

Place butternut squash on roasting pan and drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. In a soup pot, heat remaining olive oil and cook carrots, onions and celery. Sprinkle with garam masala until spice is released. Pour white wine over the vegetables and cook 5 minutes, reducing liquid. Add squash and broth and cook for about 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Using either a blender or immersion blender, blend soup until smooth. Garnish with goat cheese and serve.

-- From Liz DiFabbio, of Stratford

Tortellini Soup

Serves 10-12

1 pound sweet Italian sausage

4 cups water

2 (14-ounce) cans petite diced tomatoes

1 (10.5-ounce) can condensed French onion soup

2 cups frozen green beans

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 medium yellow squash, diced

2 cups frozen cheese tortellini

Grated Parmesan cheese

Brown sausage in a large soup pot and drain fat. Add water, tomatoes, soup, beans, basil and Italian seasoning and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add squash and continue heating 5 more minutes. Add tortellini and heat for 3-5 minutes until pasta is tender, but not mushy. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.